Cultivation System: Stronger with Age Chapter 1157 - 489: Jianmu Disaster Tribulation (Part 2)

The Great Achievement Yu Ming Bodhisattva seemed to perceive something and elevated her gaze towards the sky's expanse.

Countless dense tribulation clouds suddenly unfurled innumerable brown leaves and branches. While not achieving the prior scale of the Silver Sword Tribulation's myriad small silver swords, their number was comparable. At the very least, more than a hundred thousand branches extended from the tribulation clouds!

Because these leaves and branches resided within the high-altitude tribulation clouds, they appeared diminished in size. In truth, their dimensions were staggering. Each leaf spanned several thousand zhang and possessed a thickness of hundreds of zhang. The ashen-brown branches were immensely thick, potentially hundreds of zhang wide, and stretched over ten thousand zhang in length!

With such colossal leaves, any single one descending could shroud a vast mountain range. What added to the terror was that as these leaves gently swayed, they seemed to pulse with an unparalleled power, far more dreadful than the diminutive swords of the Silver Sword Tribulation encountered in the fifth round of trials...

As these branches and leaves continued their undulating growth,

suddenly, crimson buds emerged between the colossal leaves and upon the branches. Over time, these buds swelled until they unfurled into blossoms nearly ten thousand zhang in diameter!

Witnessing these bizarre and awe-inspiring phenomena, the Great Achievement Yu Ming Bodhisattva, having just endured the formidable Silver Sword Tribulation, could not help but slightly furrow her brow.

Within the distant Luo Water Array,

upon observing the emergence of those leaves and branches, the Elder Clan Leader of the Qilin Race stood abruptly, a distinct expression of apprehension crossing his features. He spoke in a subdued tone:

"This Five Elements Extermination Tribulation is indeed escalating in dreadfulness with each successive trial. The third and fourth Netherworld Water Tribulation and Celestial Spirit Fire would have been sufficient to plunge lesser Strongest Immortal Lord-level powerhouses into despair. The Silver Sword Tribulation ranks among the most lethal of the twelve celestial tribulations; even a top-tier Strongest Immortal Lord such as Great Achievement Yu Ming Bodhisattva would have perished without the Eighth-Grade Immortal Artifact bestowed by Immortal Lin. And now, this sixth phase's onslaught manifests as the Jianmu Calamity!"

"Jianmu Calamity?" Lin Xuankong directed a curious gaze toward the immense branches and leaves suspended in the heavens.

The Elder Clan Leader of the Qilin Race nodded gravely. "Among the myriad tribulations throughout existence, three celestial tribulations have remained unconquered by any being—the Five Elements Extermination Tribulation is one such, a name that instills profound fear. Beyond these three, nine other tribulations are classified as calamities, implying their near-unstoppability, akin to natural disasters, once they manifest! This Jianmu Calamity is one such, ranked ninth, presenting an extremely terrifying challenge to powerhouses at the Strongest Immortal Lord level. However, because ancient cultivators of immense power and possessing potent treasures managed to overcome it, it is deemed less fearsome than the three ultimate celestial tribulations!"

With a sigh, the Elder Clan Leader of the Qilin Race shook his head. "Confronting the preceding Celestial Spirit Fire, Netherworld Water, and Silver Sword Tribulation, I might have mustered the courage to contend. Yet, should I face the Jianmu Calamity during my own final celestial tribulation one day, I fear my sole recourse would be to await my demise!"

For the exceptionally gifted Elder Clan Leader of the Qilin Race to voice such sentiments, suggesting the Jianmu Calamity surpasses the Celestial Spirit Fire and the Silver Sword Tribulation in terror, compelled Lin Xuankong to focus his attention, observing the unfolding spectacle with heightened intensity.

Beside him, the Strongest Immortal Lord Guang Yu’er offered a subtle smile, a flicker of pride in her eyes, and spoke thus:

"Why such despondency, Elder Clan Leader? We have all witnessed Great Achievement Yu Ming Bodhisattva effortlessly repel the Silver Sword Tribulation, which ranks just below the Jianmu Calamity, utilizing Xuankong’s Eighth-Grade Immortal Artifact! With this very Eighth-Grade Immortal Artifact, Great Achievement Yu Ming Bodhisattva ought to surmount this Jianmu Calamity with ease!

As for your future passage through the final celestial tribulation, with Xuankong's mastery in the Path of Artifact Refining, should the Elder Clan Leader tarry and permit Xuankong to forge additional Eighth-Grade, or even Ninth-Grade Immortal Artifacts, then when confronted by the Jianmu Calamity, you need harbor no apprehension; you shall undoubtedly weather it triumphantly!"

Had Guang Yu'er spoken these words prior to the Great Achievement Yu Ming Bodhisattva conquering the Silver Sword Tribulation, the Qilin Race’s Elder Clan Leader might have dismissed them as hyperbole. However, after witnessing Great Achievement Yu Ming Bodhisattva effortlessly withstand the Silver Sword Tribulation, Guang Yu'er's current statement captured his attention, drawing his envious gaze toward the Eighth-Grade Immortal Artifact being wielded by the distant Great Achievement Yu Ming Bodhisattva!

The colossal buds adorning the massive branches high in the sky began to wither at this very moment, releasing a torrent of crimson, powdery pollen that swiftly streamed from the blossoms!

Once these pollen particles were expelled from the stamens, they drifted inexorably towards Great Achievement Yu Ming Bodhisattva. The sheer magnitude of the celestial branches, bearing an uncountable number of giant flowers, meant that when they shed their pollen, it appeared as though the heavens were raining down countless red particles. Remarkably, these myriad pollen grains all converged on Great Achievement Yu Ming Bodhisattva, defying the natural dispersion typically associated with wind-borne pollen!

Beneath the descending deluge of pollen, Great Achievement Yu Ming Bodhisattva’s brow furrowed deeply as she fully activated her Immortal Yuan.

Her Eighth-Grade Immortal Artifact, positioned above her head, instantly transformed into a streak of brilliant light, hurtling towards the vast expanse of pollen raining from the sky!

Within the confines of the distant Luo Water Array,

the Qilin Race’s Elder Clan Leader observed Great Achievement Yu Ming Bodhisattva actively employing her Immortal Artifact against the pollen. He couldn't help but give a solemn nod, remarking,

"Faced with such a Jianmu Calamity, Great Achievement Yu Ming fellow Daoist likely has no alternative but to press the attack to secure any hope of survival. May she succeed in utilizing the Eighth-Grade Immortal Artifact bestowed by Immortal Lin to annihilate every single pollen particle!"

"These floating red pollen particles, while appearing beautiful and innocuous, are in truth Jianmu Pollen. Should they land upon a cultivator, each particle would instantly inflate, voraciously draining the Tribulation Crosser’s Immortal Yuan. They would then proliferate into small Jianmu, continuing to absorb until every last trace of the Tribulation Crosser’s Immortal Yuan, blood, and Divine Soul is depleted, at which point they cease!"

Crucially,

from my understanding,

there exists no cultivation technique or innate talent in this world capable of repelling or neutralizing the absorption induced by Jianmu Pollen! The sole recourse to evade this pollen's assimilation is to prevent its proximity, reducing it to dust and powder from a considerable distance using an Immortal Artifact. Otherwise, if even a single pollen particle breaches the thousand zhang proximity to the Tribulation Crosser, it will inexorably siphon their Immortal Yuan, culminating in absolute defeat and demise!"

Though these pollen particles appear minuscule, smaller than an ordinary fist, they possess incredible resilience and harbor the formidable life force of the mystical Jianmu plant. Even low-tier Immortal Artifacts, wielded by powerhouses at the Strongest Immortal Lord level, are insufficient to obliterate a single particle of this pollen!

One can only hope... hope that Great Achievement Yu Ming Bodhisattva’s activated Eighth-Grade Immortal Artifact possesses the might to eradicate this pollen’s vitality!"

At this juncture, the Elder Clan Leader of the Qilin Race lapsed into silence, his brow knitted in concentration as he fixated on the Eighth-Grade Immortal Artifact being wielded by Great Achievement Yu Ming Bodhisattva!

Absorbing the Qilin Elder Clan Leader’s words, Lin Xuankong felt a surge of clandestine astonishment.

Jianmu Calamity, Jianmu Pollen – even the mere mention of Jianmu conjures an aura of immense power! Drawing upon fragmented recollections from ancient mythologies of his prior existence, Jianmu was revered as the divine tree that connected the heavens and the earth during the primeval mythical epoch!

Yet, an uncertainty lingered: whether this Jianmu was identical to the Jianmu spoken of in the mythological lore of Blue Star...

Nonetheless, based solely on the Elder Clan Leader’s description, the sheer dread inspired by Jianmu Pollen was palpable; the prospect of each particle, when within a thousand zhang, capable of rapidly exsanguinating even a Strongest Immortal Lord-level cultivator to the brink of death was a terrifying reality.